Diseases nearly wipe out pigs in Negros Occidental town

PIG BURIAL As the town of San Enrique in Negros Occidental loses most of its pigs to hog cholera, Bacolod City also has to deal with deaths of pigs caused by the African swine fever. Shown in this May 31 photo taken in the village of Tangub are workers burying pigs that have been culled. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

BACOLOD CITY—Despite not having a case of African swine fever (ASF) yet, hogs raised in the town of San Enrique in Negros Occidental have died due to different diseases.

A report released by the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) said that as of Sunday, pig deaths in the municipality hit 2,671, or 99.22 percent of its entire 2,692 hog population, leaving only 21 survivors.

According to the PVO, 508 hog raisers in the town’s 10 barangays were affected by the swine deaths, which were mostly attributed to hog cholera.

Mayor Jilson Tubillara, in an interview on Monday, said he was puzzled by the deaths of pigs in his municipality since most of them were immunized against hog cholera, adding there could be causes other than cholera.

Tubillara said San Enrique had allotted P2 million as aid to affected hog raisers—P3,000 to each of those who lost one to four pigs and P5,000 to each who lost five and more swines—but the fund would no longer be enough as more hog raisers applied for assistance.

According to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the symptoms of ASF and hog cholera, both highly contagious viral diseases, are similar such as high fever, weakness or lethargy, loss of appetite, rashes or hives, vomiting, and diarrhea.

So far, the BAI reported hog deaths due to ASF in only three Negros Occidental localities: Bacolod and Victorias cities, and Pulupandan town.

As of Sunday, the total pig deaths in 126 barangays in 16 localities of Negros Occidental reached 12,139 or 9.26 percent of the total hog population of the province, affecting 2,294 hog raisers and brought losses amounting to P136,311,800, the PVO said.

Health officials stressed that ASF does not pose any threats to humans and that other pork products from infected areas were safe to eat.

—CARLA P. GOMEZ INQ